


The History of a Mercenery And a Name Forgotten

by TheFlamingAce



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Child Soldiers, Dimension Travel, Dysfunctional Family, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Orphans, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:26:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29236023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFlamingAce/pseuds/TheFlamingAce
Summary: He was a Mercenary, a Hybrid, a Captain, a Leader, a Protégée, a mask, a child in a lost mans body.He was many things, how it took to get to this point no-one knows.The History of Dream and the boy he once was.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

Kids don’t belong in empty forests; both the kid in the forest and the man who found him knew this.

Stick bared in front of him alongside his teeth; the dirty blond haired kid did not break eye contact from the larger man in front of him. He was trembling, the freezing south breeze running shivers up his spine; but the fear was what was truly making him tremble.

“Kid” the man rumbled; his eyes narrowed and boring into the kid’s soul, ignoring the shapes that were peering into the corner of his vision. With a casual smile he leaned against the pine tree beside him, “What are you going to do with that stick kid? Hit me?”

The kid just growled and waved his stick threateningly, “Maybe.” he huffed, voice raspy and dark but his eyes never left the man.

“Sticks don’t make good weapons” The older pointed out, a lazy smirk on his face, “What’s you name kid?”

His working eye flickered left as he spoke, uneasiness starting to settle in his stomach as the shadows in his vision crept closer. He hummed thoughtfully, navy blue gaze drifting back to the kid who seemed frozen in panic.

“Clay” the kid murmured.

The man didn’t comment on the way the kid’s feet were covered in fresh clay and dirt and that the kid’s eyes had flickered around before landing on the substance. No it wasn’t his place, especially if this kid was who he thought he was.

“The name is William kid, you from the nearby village?”

Clay paled, but nodded his head regardless.

“You got a home to return to?” William asked, eye gazing at the snowy forest nearby as he admired the way the shadows retreated to only the edge of his vision. 

Pausing, the kid lowered his stick slightly, voice soft and thick with emotion, “No.”

The brunette hummed in acknowledgement, “You like the village?”

“No…?”

“Then come with me”

The kid froze, eyes wide as he stared at the older man, “What…?” he choked out, “Are you arresting me?” his stick rose defensively as his eyes hardened again.

The man just laughed, pushing his long fringe back as he did, “Good god kid, is that what you say to all guards? They’ll just assume you did something wrong if you say that!” He tapped at the hilt of his sword absentmindedly, “Nah kid I’m not arresting you, I just figured you’d like a place to stay”

Confused, for a moment the shadows retreated from the man’s vision as Clay stared, “Like… the orphanage?” 

William shrugged, “If you want to, but you have spunk kid, why not stay with me and ill train you to use something other than a stick?”

The kids eyes widened, “Like… a home?”

“If you want it to be.”

The stick was lowered to the kid’s side as Clay stared at his feet, lost in thought and consideration. William waited patiently, feeling the shadows slowly creep away from his vision until finally; just finally, they were completely gone. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and when he straightened up to face the kid; Big green eyes met his.

“I’ll go with you” There was a newfound determination in the boys voice and his tiny fists were clenched at his side.

William grinned a toothy grin, “Let’s get going then kid.”

* * *

Clay stared, and stared, and stared. The world was so big, and there were so many _people_. He had no idea cities would be this… overwhelming when William had offered his home, let alone that his home was in the _Capital_. So he just pressed his trembling frame into William’s leg and clenched his fists into his cloak and prayed to all that was holy that he’d get to his new home soon.

“Sir!” Someone shouted from in front of him and suddenly William had stopped walking.

A hand reached down and rested on Clays shoulders, grounding his trembling form beside him.

“Good to see you again Adam” William greeted, a thin smile appearing on his face as he watched a guard approach them, “I take it things have been in order while I’ve been gone?”

“Yes sir!” The man straightened up, a serious look on his face as he saluted to William, “We’ve been doing patrols as usual with minimal issues! Just a few street level criminals and rambunctious kids having to be arrested”

Clay flinched from his spot by Williams side, drawing the guards attention quickly. With curious eyes now on him, William pushed him softly forward, “Adam, meet Clay, he’s my Nephew, I’m afraid his mother is gravely sick so I’ve volunteered to look after him from now on”

Clay blinked, looking up at William in confusion and awe.

His voice gave no hints, his face gave no signs, his entire posture didn’t waver as he lied straight to the man’s face. He even sounded sad as if it truly was true.

Why did he lie?

Adam took off his helmet sombrely; “I am sorry to hear that sir” He leaned over with a soft smile on his chiselled face, “Hello Clay! I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time living with the Captain, maybe he’ll let you come visit us at the castle sometime!” he reached up and ruffled the kids hair, not noticing (or not caring), the flinch it caused.

Clay choked on his voice in response, ducking behind Williams cloak and screwing his eyes shut.

“Ah” Adam blinked, before a sad look crossed his face, “I see he’s still grieving”

William hummed, his large hand resting on Clays hair softly, bring comfort in the form of the happy warmth it brought, “I am afraid so Adam, I’ll be taking him home for now, but I’ll be meeting with the King tomorrow and ill re-join training soon enough”

“Of course sir!” the guard straightened up and placed his helmet back on his head, “I must return to patrol now but I look forward to your return, I believe a few of the new guards need a talking to”

A smirk crossed Williams face, “Of course they do, it shall have to wait for now though; we must get home”

“I shall send you my report tomorrow!”

“Thank you.” The brunette softly pushed Clay along in front of him, waving goodbye to the soldier as he did.

Clay stared at the ground, mind going a million miles an hour as he tried to think of what question to ask first.

“You’re the Captain!” He blurted out after a moment, before snapping his jaw shut in horror, his fists clenching around the fabric in his hands.

William just hummed, “I am, William Stonewald at your service kid” he grinned down at the kid as he walked, slow enough so the kid could stay by his side.

“Y-You-“ Clay choked, “You didn’t say-“

The man paused, “Oh” a knowing look passed over his face as he crouched down to eyelevel with the boy, ignoring the way the crowds have to split around them, “Sorry kid, shoulda let ya know, I kind of…” he scratched the back of his head, “I kind of forget how people aren’t used to this kind of life”

“You lied!” Clay hissed, fear creeping into his voice, “W-Why did you-… are you g-going to get in… trouble?”

William laughed, wrapping his arms around the kid softly and lifting him up as he stood up, keeping the kid against his hip as he started to walk again.

“Everyone lies kid, if its for a good enough reason, it shouldn’t matter”

Bitterness welled up in Clay’s stomach as he stared at the fabric in his hands. He knew people lied, he knew this from the way people pretended to like him, pretended to care; Until he was forced to admit he didn’t have a family; that all he remembers are trees and dirt from the moment he was born. Heaviness had settled in his chest, who’s to say William won’t abandon him when he finds out?

“Is…” Clay whispered, choosing his words carefully, “Is the reason you lied… a good reason?”

The man hummed, a thoughtful look on his face, “Perhaps, it was mostly to avoid the trouble of questions, people don’t treat orphans very nice”

“Don’t they?” Clay whispered hoarsely, already knowing the answer to his question.

“Nope” William responded casually, popping the P as he looked up at the night sky, letting his feet take him where he needed to go on instinct, “People don’t like Hybrids you see”

“Hybrids?” The kid questioned, a shiver racking up his spine at the familiar word that had been thrown at him his entire life.

“Hybrids are…” William paused, “Human like creatures that have certain abilities, they are not born, they are created, though we still are not sure what from; some suspect gods I think”

“And Hybrids are…” Clay shivered, “Bad?”

“Some are?” The Brunette shrugged, “People don’t like them though, as they’re an unknown in our world”

“Do you…” the words died on the child’s tongue, afraid to ask the question that twisted his stomach painfully.

William didn’t respond, perhaps the question was too quiet, Perhaps he was ignoring him, but either way, they both trailed off into a tense silence.

Clay stared at the passing stone floor, ignoring the burning behind his eyes as he resisted the urge to cry. Crying was weak and he was NOT weak.

A relieved sigh from William brought him out of his dark thoughts, and he raised his gaze to the house they were approaching.

It was surprisingly modest for the Captain of the Royal guard, dark spruce and what looked like Marble at first glance. (Though he later found out it was only a light type of stone)

It was a short time later when the door was unlocked and Clay was placed gently on the ground. William shuffled around the room for a moment, hanging his bag and sword on the coat rack by the door, before plopping down on a soft chair in the corner.

He let out a tired sigh, stretching his arms out before relaxing in the chair, “Okay kid, it’s late; you’re probably tired, do you want to sleep now or eat now?”

Clay cocked his head, rubbing his arm nervously for a moment, “Sleep…?” He murmured hesitantly.

William just nodded in response, “Sure thing kid”

Clay didn’t know what to think any more.


	2. Learning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clay Learns a few things about Battle (And Family)

Living in a home was foreign to Clay. It was too soft, to warm, and most definitely, too kind. He had meals three times a day, he was given clothes and shoes and opportunities.

When the time came that William deemed him ready to start training, he jumped at the opportunity. But now that he was standing in front of the man, a wooden sword in hand and feet planted firmly in the snow his heart couldn’t help but sink.

“Okay Kid” William started, crossing his arms and staring down at the Blonde, warm breath coming out in clouds against the cold winter air, “Let me see what you can do”

Clay paused, blinking up in the man in surprise, “Like… just… hit you?”

The man nodded “Come at me, try your best to attack me, hit me, whatever, it’ll give me an idea on where you’re at, skill wise”

“With the sword?”

“Or your fists;” William shrugged, “Whatever comes naturally, just try it”

The boy eyed the other carefully, Feet sliding open and raising his sword in front of him like the stick he once bared in front of the guard.

Clay let a shaky breath that he saw float past his face; and ran at the man, sword swinging.

He attempted a high downward swing, aiming for the man’s side, which was easily sidestepped.

He jumped back and swung again, aiming for the legs for a moment but this only got an unexpected boot to the wrist. His skin ached where the harsh leather collided with his wrist, he hissed in response but only clenched tighter on the sword.

As he went to swing again, his eyes raised and for a moment their eyes met…

And Clay scrambled backwards as his heart hammered in his chest.

William looked _terrifying_.

His lip was curled in a snarl, his eye was narrowed and eyebrows tight together in a dangerous look that sent shivers down the boy’s spine. He looked ready to kill him.

But just as quick as Clay has spotted the look it disappeared from the man’s face and a look of quiet consideration replaced it.

Humming, the guard nudged the wooden sword now sat among the snow, “Well you have the passion that’s for sure, you just need the skills” Glancing down at the child, his blue eyes flashed with a look that was akin to guilt for a moment.

Clay stared mutely up at the man, adrenaline making his chest heave and his fists clench amongst the snow, an icy chill running down his spine.

“Oh…” William’s gaze drifted to the side, “Oh kid, did you really expect someone in battle to be _nice_?”

He didn’t, but Clay was too confused to answer as he watched as the man crouched down in front of him, meeting his gaze.

“When in battle,” he wrapped his large hand around the small wooden sword handle; “you are fighting two battles, a physical one,” within a moment, the tip of the sword was suddenly pressed against the underside of Clays exposed chin, “…And a psychological one.”

The sneer that crossed his face made the boy feel so small, so weak and easily broken, that no matter what happened in this moment, he would not be able to do anything to protect himself.

“You’re not a good actor kid” he commented, eyes hard, “Your heart is too soft, and your eyes show this loud and clear”

“You are-?“ Clay’s throat closed up and he swallowed nervously as he stared down the wooden sword. The other seemed to get the hint though, a small sigh brought forth as he lowered the weapon.

“Acting? Yea, making others scared of you makes them weak, pliable, and doomed for failure”

His deep voice rumbled as rose up onto his feet again, knees cracking as he did, “Clay” he started, voice soft, “If you want to be a warrior, the first step is to harden your heart” he stared down at the kid, dropping the practice sword.

The high pitched noise of metal sliding on metal was all that sounded through the snow as William slowly drew his sword from his side, the turquoise blade catching the light dangerously as he did.

Clay’s heart dropped as he shuffled backwards, but the sharp tip of the sword was pressed to his throat regardless, slowly and deliberately, giving him time to think.

“Look at me” William’s sword forced his chin up, tip almost as sharp as his words felt.

He forced himself to look up at the man, flinching away at the dangerous glare that met him. His throat stung as the blade pricked his throat, and he held his breath as he tried to still himself.

“Kid” The man growled, voice snapping his gaze back up at the man, “Glare at me, Hate me; want me _dead_.” His voice dropped to a low hiss, teeth bared dangerously, “I want to see what it’d be like at the end of your blade.”

Sucking in a nervous breath, his eyes lowered again as he trembled against the heat of his gaze. He felt helpless tears rise up in his eyes as he screwed his eyes shut.

“If you don’t want to be a warrior,” Williams voice was suddenly soft and kind and sent Clays mind reeling, “Just say the word, you don’t have to go down this path if you don’t want to.”

Tiny hands clenched in the snow as the silence drew on.

Finally, the boy’s eyes opened and he raised his chin on his own accord, a large toothy snarl bared on his face as he glared up at the monotone man. Warm tears were running, his sweat was cold on his forehead, but he glared regardless; Baring as much horrible emotions on his face the best he could in the moment.

William raised a thick eyebrow, but the snarl was gone now, and a small satisfied smirk was on his face.

“Sure.” He hummed, sheathing his sword in its holster again, “Good enough for a child, but kid…” he glanced down at the still trembling form of the child, “If you don’t get a hold of your emotions, perhaps you should use a mask”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao, Poor Clay.


	3. +1 Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clay Finds a new Rope.

Clay had been sneaking out for years now since the very moment he started staying with William. He was around 11 now, from what William told him, he still had no idea when he was actually born. Most hybrids don’t.

The night was where he was most at peace; the cool breeze on his skin as he slipped into the alleyways of the city was a comfort he tried his best to chase. He slipped into the darkness like a second skin these nights, finding a back alleyway ladder to climb onto the rooftops. His favourite rooftop to visit was one in the lower slums of the city, a large building with a flat roof. And though there wasn’t a ladder, the bricks were uneven and falling apart which made it a breeze to scale.

Sucking in a deep breath, the boy stared down at the few people daring to wander the streets this late at night. Most were criminals, guards, homeless. It was perfect for his training.

Pulling the cloak closer to his form, he relaxed his body and mind. His fingers twitched as he mentally tried to wrap his fingers around familiar twine. Once he felt the cool touch of his powers, he pulled harshly, and he jumped as prickling ran up his spine. Clay shivered, but fought back a smile at the familiar feeling.

Opening the eyes he didn’t realised he closed he studied the few people on the streets below, picking apart which of the citizens would work best. After a few moments of consideration, he settled for a guard who was wondering through the streets aimlessly, sleepy yawns making him a great target. He wouldn’t question what comes next.

With a firm grip on the twine, he pictured a figure in the alleyway nearby, taking particular attention to the knife in its hand and the evil smirk on its face. It was in vision of the Guard, and as he visualised the figure, It appeared before his very eyes. Unfortunately for him, it was shimmering and the smile wasn’t quiet there, eyes non-existent and face blurry as if you couldn’t quite recall what it looked like.

Still, it got the guards attention.

He flinched heavily, taking a step back and staring at the figure with shock. He reached up to rub his eyes, but when the figure didn’t disappear next, he started to shout.

Taking that as his cue, Clay forced the figure to float away into the wind, dissipating like dust in a storm.

The guard was shaking now; hand on his helmet as he groaned to himself. Clay couldn’t hear him from here, the wind was too loud, but he suspected the man was quite unsettled.

The dirty blonde haired boy couldn’t help but let out a happy giggle at the result; swinging his legs happily in the wind as he watched the guard stumble off again.

Though the apparition still wasn’t fully human and recognisable, spare from details; Clay was ecstatic. He’d been training his powers by himself for years and it took many, many, sleepless nights to get to this point. He had gotten a hold of the easier abilities; teleportation happening in the blink of an eye, Dream walking happening with little prompting from him at night; it was the illusions that were taking the longest to get a hold of.

Eyeing the streets again, he debated his next victim as he ran his mind through the twines absentmindedly. With a hum, he zeroed in on a drunken couple of men rounding the corner of the street now, stumbling down the street with loud bumbling noises. Pushing his feet underneath him he stood up and stretched his arms. Unfortunately, this angle wasn’t the best for what he wanted to try, so he eyed the rooftops across from him, searching for a place to perch as he tapped his fingers on the familiar teleportation alibility. He was just about to yank it when he felt his mind brush against something unfamiliar. He paused, eyes widening as he reached further inside himself again.

There was a new twine, no, scratch that, it was thick; more like a rope if anything. It was unfamiliar and scratchy and the longer he ran his fingers across it the more it burnt his insides and made his eyes water. With a small confused whine, he ditched his previous expedition, instead stepping away from the edge and turning to face the rooftop.

He faintly recalled when he first found his teleportation ability, he was too excited, too keen, and that cost him a broken leg and a worried William. He winced at the thought, recalling his horrible excuse for how he had fell from a roof when he was only minutes before walking behind the man.

He felt his stomach lurch as he wrapped his mind around the new rope, his fists clenched at his sides as he let out a shaky breath. Preparing himself for the worst, he closed his eyes, and yanked.

And within moments his entire sense of being was ripped apart.

It burnt and froze and cut and bruised and his eyes and mouth snapped open as he soundlessly screamed. His vision met darkness, and though it burnt and all he wanted to do was cry; he snapped his jaw shut.

Just as quickly as the pain and darkness started, it ended, and suddenly he was staring up at the sun.

The sun?

Wasn’t it night-

He lurched upwards, scrambling on the grass as he spun his head around to take in his surroundings.

His heart lurched to his throat.

He was in… a small clearing, there were a few scattered trees and plants, but beyond that, on all sides, there was…

Buildings.

Tall, way, WAY, too tall buildings.

He trailed his gaze up them, stomach sinking the longer it took; they were huge, touching the heavens and reflected the sky better than any pond or river.

Head spinning, he flicked his eyes down again, breathing heavily as he watched so many people pass by outside the clearing.

There was a weird structure in the clearing, surrounded by perfectly square sand, there were kids on the structure, loud and happy as they used the chains to swing themselves around. It was like a swing you’d find on a tree in the forest; but the structure seemed to made out of metal and weird materials that he didn’t recognise.

The people themselves were what really made Clay realised that this wasn’t his world.

Their clothes were bright, so very bright, and some had just as bright hair. He would think they were hybrids if it wasn’t for the fact they were so undisturbed at being surrounded by humans.

Clay swallowed, studying the strange people further as he clenched the prickly grass beneath his hands. He spotted so many different things he didn’t recognise, words and colours and shapes that weren’t possible with his world’s technology. The people themselves were laced with unfamiliarity that made his hair stand on end.

He wanted to cry.

He swallowed back the tears the best he could, recalling his mentor’s words in the back of his mind, and stood up.

Brushing the bits of grass of his legs, he bit his lip as he examined the area again.

There were large open paths on the other side of the crowds, but no-one seemed to use them. And as Clay watched a large metal… _being_ , passed by; it took up half of the path by its sheer metal mass. He felt his breath hitch as he watched it, fear making his hands shake as he shoved them in his pockets. He was suddenly hyper aware of how much he didn’t know about this world, how many threats and unknowns that could kill him at a moment’s notice.

So he decided, against the voice in his head that was screaming at him to go home, to follow the crowd.

He slipped into the crowd with little issue, his small form a benefit that made his heart sing as he was jostled around by people walking in all directions, he picked a direction and followed it, Mind tight on his powers threads in order for him to escape at a moment’s notice.

Every time someone brushed past him, his breath quickened and his eyes stung with unshed tears as new fabrics and textures made his skin prickle. He tried to hold out and continue on, following the crowd and ignoring everyone around him as he held back panic. He barely lasted five minutes before he caved.

With a small growl of frustration, he started pushing through the crowd, heading to one of the buildings on the side of the road, there was a large clear door he could see, and as he watched it slid open without any hand or person interacting it. People walked through it without a care, and he followed, flinching as it slid shut behind him.

A wave of cool air hit him front on, and he winced, suddenly hyper aware of the sweat that had started welling up from the moment he came to this world. But inside this strange building, it was as cool as night, and as much as he wanted to relax, the unnaturalness of it kept in on his toes.

Thankfully at least there were less people in here then out there, so he was able to avoid touching any of the fabrics they seemed to fond of wearing.

The inside of the building was just as confusing, with marble like floors and more see-through doors, with a large open middle room and several rooms on either side, going on for many, many, metres. He couldn’t see the other end through all the people. Each of the rooms on the sides were completely different, some with bright colours, some with calm colours, some with clothes, some with items. It, in its weird ways, kind of resembled a market.

He slowly approached one of the rooms, a colourful one chock full of clothes and items and masks, and when he squinted up at the door of it, he didn’t recognise the word blaring at the front.

“Ha-“ he read out, voice raspy, “Hallo… ween? Store?”

Mind spinning he tilted his head as he watched a few people exit the store. In their hands were crinkly bags that had bright clothing and clear covered items spilling from the inside.

With a nervous hum to calm his mood, he entered the store, avoiding the people that seemed to eye him as he did.

Disappearing among the racks of clothing, he ran his fingers over the weird fabrics and textures of his own volition. A weird clear film was wrapping a lot of the smaller items, and when he touched it, it crinkled noisily much like the bags from before. (he would later discover it was plastic, and that it was common in all modern worlds)

Scrunching his nose, he examined some of the items. Most were unfamiliar and confusing, but he recognised a few elements. Like Skeleton like masks and things resembling bones, but when he touched them they felt nothing like them. Or like a horribly crinkly mask that resembled a drawing of a Zombie that one might find in books. There were words everywhere, but very little he recognised, some phrases seemed familiar, but the currency did not.

His hands brushed against another package he didn’t recognise, and he paused in his browsing to gaze at it; green eyes wide.

It was so plain, just a white mask with two eye holes in it and a carved simple smile. It resembled a children’s drawing and as he picked it up he scoffed at its stupid face. Spinning it over, he realised it was much too big for a child like him to wear.

But the longer he stared at it, the more he wondered whether it would be a good idea to keep it. He didn’t like the other masks but he remembers clearly that William suggested using one for battle. He hummed under his breath, glancing at the wall of masks again, frowning when all the colours and shapes made his head ache. Shaking off the pain, he glanced around, eyeing the other customers lingering nearby. They weren’t paying attention to him but there was one person with a bright coloured shirt frowning as he watched him from across the store.

As he made eye contact, the man seemed to decide on something; as they started stalking towards him. He squeaked, and scrambled back, ducking behind a stand with the package clutched tightly in his sweaty palms.

“Kid! If you can’t afford it, put it away! You’re not getting any free shit just cause its Halloween”

The man’s voice was harsh as he yelled at the boy and his accent made Clays head ache terribly; he was barely able to process what he said before a hand was wrapping around his upper arm.

He tried to scramble back, reaching out for any of his powers and latching on in a fit of panic.

And when his hand wrapped around thick rope he did not hesitate to pull it.

Spinning around in the new darkness, he barely registered that the hand was no longer attached to him with the intense burning ripping his thoughts from his mind. His entire body was stinging as if he was being flayed alive, and his insides were burning as if he had swallowed a whole bottle of acid.

He couldn’t scream around the pain in his being, he could only scramble in the darkness and take it. But he was still young, still weak, and this time he passed out briefly as he was ripped between universes.

When he opened his eyes next, he was staring up at a dark familiar sky.

He breathed.

Trembling from his place on the ground, he felt tears run down his cheeks as he sucked in greedy breaths of cool night air. He could barely find the motivation to move, tempted to just sleep the night away staring at the stars. But eventually he had to get home, so with weak arms and trembling legs he managed to lift himself off the ground. Only then did he realise the weird package was still clenched in his fist.

He stared at it, frowning as he ran his fingers over the clear packaging. Digging his nails into it, he tried ripping along the sides to get to the mask inside. When it didn’t tear, he bared his teeth and ripped it that way. He was satisfied once he could wrap his fingers around the actual mask and he threw the packaging away into the darkness of the alleyway. 

He glanced at where it fell, logged between two barrels and amongst the rubbish of the alleyway. It blended in quiet well, and perhaps he should have a disposal system for things out of this world in the future, but for tonight he was exhausted.

Holding the mask to his face he winced as he noticed it was much too big for him right now. But he held hope with the knowledge that he would one day fit the strange mask; and that perhaps it would become a symbol of who he was.

Shoving the mask under his belt, he slipped his shirt over to cover the rest. It looked a bit bulky but it did its job. Satisfied he stumbled to his feet and headed out. He managed to identify where he was relatively okay, he was in the middle class district and it wouldn’t take long to get home.

He wasn’t very keen on getting caught wondering the streets, so he hurried home.

When he finally inched the door to his house open, he slipped inside silently. Glancing around cautiously, he inched his way towards his room on silent footsteps. A door further down the hall creaked open and he froze in place, eyes wide.

When his mentor made eye contact with him, he was shocked to find pure relief in the mans gaze.

“Clay?!” The Brunette gasped, rushing forward and before Clay could react he had wrapped the boy up in his arms, “Clay what the _HELL_?!”

Clay, frozen in shock, could only stand there and hold the shaking man.

“Where have you been?!” William demanded, voice shaking as his fists tightened his grip on the boy, “It’s been Three Days! I thought you…” His voice cracked, “I thought you-

Mind spinning with this new information, Clay could only choke out a sob and bury his face in the man’s chest. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he sobbed and wailed.

“Oh kid...” William whispered, voice dropping as he ran his fingers through the boys blond hair, “god, kid, you-you..“ he sucked in a breath before sighing slowly, shoulders slouching, “I’m glad you’re safe now”

And for the first time in Clay’s life, deep in the warmest hug he has ever received, he considered calling William something other than mentor.


	4. Chapter 4

He was 13 years old. His fists were held tight to his sides as he straightened up and stared at the guard going down the line of fellow applicants. He was sweating with nervousness but excitement was strumming through his veins and he was resisting the urge to rock back on his heels. As he waited his turn, he was running through his mentors words in his mind.

_“Stand tall, stand proud, remember your training and breathe”_ he had said, a warm hand on his shoulder as he saw the boy off for the selection process. He had made it clear previously that he could get in automatically on Williams word, but Clay was determined to get in on his own accord; triumphing from his own power and abilities.

There were footsteps coming towards him now, and he stared down the guard that was approaching him. The man’s lips were curled in a sneer, eyeing the small boy with distain, “What is this? A child” he cackled to himself as he glared down at Clay.

Clay felt an angry tremor run up his spine as he forced himself to keep eye contact; watching as the man’s face seemed to go through several different emotions in a few seconds.

“Go home to your mother child” he finally sneered again, “Do you even know why you are here?”

“I am here to become a guard sir” Clay replied evenly as he glared up at the man, hands trembling at his sides, “If I appear to be in the wrong place, please feel free to let me know”

The man merely raised an eyebrow, annoyance making his lip curl as he stared down at him, “Hold your tongue child; you want to become a… soldier?” he leaned forward as he spoke, hands behind his back as his eyes flashed dangerously, “Then I’ll fight you every step of the way”

The silence drew on between them, distantly Clay could feel the gazes of everyone else on him, but he didn’t remove his eyes from the man. His own version of a sneer appeared on his face as he opened his mouth to snap back.

“What is taking so long Victor?” a deep familiar voice interrupted him, and his mouth snapped shut on instinct. 

His eyes flicked sideways to watch as his very own mentor approached the guard, posture relaxed as he tilted his head at the man. He didn’t even give Clay a glance, eyes fixated on the Guard.

Victor straightened up in response, sneer falling as he saluted at the man lazily, a small smirk rising on his face instead.

“I was just weeding out the weak” he scoffed, “Seems a few children stumbled upon a sword and think they are worthy of protecting our Empire” his eyes slid sideways at Clay as he spoke, eyes dark.

William hummed, glancing at Clay for a moment before turning back to the guard, lip twitching with the beginning of a smirk.

“Well that can’t do can it” The Captain sighed, “Only the best become a part of the Capital guard”

Victor was nodding in agreement, gesturing to the line of applicants, “There are very few ACTUAL Possible applicants, the turnout is quite disappointing this year”

Laughing, the Captain let his gaze travel over the nervous applicants, mouth twitching as they avoided his gaze like the plague, “seems like it” he hummed, tapping his sword as a small smirk appeared on his face, “Perhaps we can try something different this time then?”

Clay tried not to flinch at the mischievous look in his mentors eyes and hid his shaking hands behind his back.

“Oh?” The Guard raised an eyebrow, ignoring Clay as he was now staring with sparkling eyes at William, “What did you have in mind?”

“What about a tournament?”

Clay froze, eyes widening at the man’s suggestion, glancing around nervously he noticed quickly that he wasn’t the only one frozen in fear.

Heart sinking, he made hesitant eye contact with his Mentor, his own eyes wide and pleading.

All he got was a grin in response.

* * *

Clay was cursing his mentor to high nether and back, fists clenched around the wooden sword in his hand, eyeing his opponent from across the training grounds. He could feel many eyes on him from his spectators, the only one he recognised was William, who was sitting lax on a bench and lazily watching Clay with a smirk on his face. Victor was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees beside him; Eyes narrowed and sneer permanent as he watched the fight.

Eyes drifting back to his opponent, his feet slid apart instinctively as he squared his shoulders. The teen across from him mirrored him, their own hands nowhere near as shaky as Clays as a small satisfied smile appeared on his face.

This only caused Clay to scowl.

Sure the boy was bigger than him by a couple inches, and sure Clay looked quite lanky and weak; but just like William had taught him, no foe should be underestimated.

His heart thrummed with excitement at the prospect of teaching this idiot a lesson and his lips curled in a twisted smirk as he relaxed his body.

“Well? what are you waiting for?” Victor’s scoff echoed throughout the arena, “Hurry it up we don’t got all day”

Jerking them both into motion, Clay rushed at the other with his sword bared. They stumbled back to dodge and tried a swing of their own but the blonde parried it with practiced ease. His sword flashed out again and it nicked the boys leg as he jumped to avoid it.

Clay was hot on his heels and when the boy rose to his feet again, He had already slashed the sword at his ribs; it collided with the others side harshly and the boy cried out at the contact.

Victor was cackling as the two pulled apart, Clay smirking and the other wide eyed in disbelief. “What the-“ he choked out, but Victor’s voice cut him off.

“You lost kid, go mope somewhere else”

Clay watched with victory in his chest as his opponent slinked off. But as his gaze drifted to the rest of the applicants, his heart sank. How many more fights would this take to prove his worth? With a sigh, he left the middle, watching as two more applicants rose to fight.

This was going to take a while.

* * *

When he found himself on the stage for the eighth time that day, the once morning air had turn cool with the evening sun. Many of the applicants had already filtered out; lost in their own feelings of self-deprecation as they lost their fights. Victor’s cackling as Clay won his fights was trailing off now; his smirk was gone as he was lost in his own thoughts now. An undesirable expression was now on his face.

William was smirking, watching the fights with a keen analytical eye.

Which is how Clay ended up here, a wooden sword in his hand and facing a teen much bigger then he was.

He studied the opponent with narrowed eyes, taking note of the callused palms and experienced stance on him. With this in mind, he fell into his familiar stance, making sure to keep his eyes on the other. The boy was cocky, like his first opponent of the day, but Clay couldn’t help but be worried that this one’s confidence was not misplaced.

As he rushed at the other, he couldn’t help but wonder offhandedly why this one was much older than the rest. When a sword flashed in his vision he slid underneath the awaiting blade and between the man’s legs. He was quick to spin around in the sand, legs lashing out with enough force to cause the man to stumble. He took the type to lunge to his feet, sword slashing out and just barely missing the man’s back.

The enemy spun around with their own attack, nicking Clays wrist as his sword was swung by him. The boy winced, but still blocked the next attack, holding the sword above his head to stop the blade that slashed down. The wooden swords creaked with the force, Clay’s arms shook at the effort of holding the position. He glanced up at the snarling man and let out a shaky grin of his own. With a huff, he threw the man’s sword off him and kicked him harshly in the stomach.

He was sent stumbling backwards, and in a split second decision Clay Rushed him wildly. Within a second he had stabbed cleanly at the man’s neck, the point of the wooden sword jabbed into his throat and ripped a choked sound from the man.

Jumping back from the sword that attempted to hit him, Clay paused.

The man was still glaring daggers at him, opening his mouth to speak when Victor interrupted.

“Well, that was a fun fight; you can put your swords down now you idiots” The man exclaimed, approaching the two and glancing between them.

Clay didn’t relax his posture, staring warily at his opponent who was shaking with barely concealed rage, his sword shaking in his grip.

“Put the sword down” Victor growled, eyes flicking from the man to his sword.

“Shut the fuck up, who let a god damn kid in here!” The man snapped for the first time, his voice deep and raspy.

“Well the kid just beat you so” The guard shrugged, a small smirk on his face, “Go become a farmer or something, I told you not to come back remember?”

“SHUT UP!” The booming yell that followed made Clay flinch and before he knew it the man was rushing at him. He stumbled backwards, caught off guard and unable to react in time before he was upon him.

There was the faintest of breezes before the man seemed to disappear from his vision, a flash of colours the only sign of what had happened. William was in front of him now, his fist up and the man on the ground. Blinking and dumbfounded, Clay stared down at the now unconscious man in disbelief.

Without a word, William turned to him, a small smile on his face, “Nice work Kid” he rumbled, reaching up and ruffling his hair.

“Sir!” Victor snapped from behind him, eyes wide, “You-“

“Victor” he hummed without looking, cutting him off as he ran his hand through the boys blonde locks, “Meet Clay, my Nephew, now one of your new soldiers”

And when Victor paled considerably, he just chuckled.

“Treat him kindly or I will _ruin_ you.”

Clay was the only one that saw that despite the Captains voice sounding like promised death incarnate, his face was warm and proud.


	5. Chapter 5

In the months following the beginning of his soldier career Clay and William find themselves drifting further and further apart. Not on purpose of course, they were both so busy now-days they took any chance they could to exchange kind words and hesitant affections. 

The new Guard had a choice, stay living with William, or join his fellow soldiers in the barracks. He’d been staying in his usual room in their home for now, but he couldn’t help but continue to mull it over as the weeks go by.

When William asks him to join him on his patrol the next day, Clay jumps at the opportunity.

Which is how he found himself here two steps behind his guardian and with two other new guards following close behind. They were all quiet, watching the streets bustle about with a renewed vigour since the festival was announced to be happening in a few days’ time. Clay wasn’t one for festivals, let alone festivals for a king’s birthday. It always left a sour taste in his mouth and a bitter frown on his face. But seeing how happy the citizens were regardless made his heart warm.

Following behind his mentor, he eyed the streets with a keen eye, taking note of the suspicious individuals that caught his gaze. Though there were a few shifty eyes and jumpy bodies, they weren’t doing anything illegal yet so Clay let himself look elsewear.

“What do you see Clay?”

Williams monotone voice made the boy jump, but he replied regardless, “Nothing wrong yet Sir, just a few suspicious individuals!” He straightened up and saluted for good measure, hyper aware of the judgment of the guards behind him.

The Captain eyed him for a moment before nodding, a small amused smirk on his face, “There are a few notorious criminals ive seen” He explained, tilting his head away as he watched a few familys walk by, “But that’s not for today’s patrol”

“Sir?” Clay questioned, wide eyed at the thought, weren’t they supposed to apprehend ANY criminal?

“Can’t be bothered” he shrugged, glancing at the other two guards, “I think it’s time we split up, “ His voice hardened as he spoke, “You two head through the main market and loop back around the left side” He poked a thumb beside him, “We’ll meet you two there”

“Yes Sir!” They Exclaimed, Saluting heartedly and running off within a moment’s notice. The blonde watched them run off with narrowed eyes, only turning back to William to raise an eyebrow in question.

“What?” William smirked, “Am I not allowed to want some bonding time with my kid?”

Clay felt his ears burn as he ducked his head away from the captain’s outstretched hand, holding his hand to his helmet to avoid the attempted hair ruffle. “’m not your kid” He grumbled, avoiding eye contact as he continued walking down the street, heading down side road after a small gesture from William.

The brunette cackled, “You’re a kid regardless!” he exclaimed, throwing one arm over his shoulder and leaning against the smaller teen, “Everyone’s a kid when you get as old as me!”

Clay stumbled with the newfound weight, holding them both up with a grimace, “Stop that old man, we gotta continue patrol”

“We are patrolling!” William pointed out, a cheeky grin on his face as he was pushed off the other.

“You’re not paying attention though!”

“You underestimate me kid”

At Williams’s quiet hum, Clay paused, glancing sideways at the man curiously.

The older grinned, raising an eyebrow but only humming at his silent question. With a whistle, he walked ahead, leading the younger down the twists and turns of the back alley streets. Most Clay recognised, but William seem set in some sort of direction so he didn’t dare follow his usual routes.

He had his eyes scanning the windows of the houses when a small cry sounded nearby; instantly both guards’ heads snapped up and William took off running. Clay was hot on his heels eyes set forward on the back of his mentor. Turning a corner caused William to jerk to a stop, one foot kicking out and tripping up a man who had been running past.

Clay skidded to a stop behind him, watching as the man face planted onto the ground, a large bag in his hands spilling the contents across the bricks.

“You are under arrest” William stated calmly, placing one boot on the back of the man and pressing down harshly, “We do not tolerate Thieves in the Antarctic Empire”

The man turned his head and spat on the ground, blood mixed with spit as he glared dangerously up at them. He curled his fists and kicked and thrashed, a desperate shout and scream ripping itself from his lips as he struggled underneath the captain’s boot.

Clay hesitantly approached closer, gathering up the bag and placing some of the coins and fruit that had spilled out back in. A fist narrowly missed his face and he growled lowly as he withdrew, standing back up and taking another step back.

“Thanks kid” William said, glancing back at him, “Go give that to the lady over there, she’d be missing it” he tilted his head back down the street where the man had come from where an older lady was glaring harshly at the criminal on the floor.

He jogged up to her, ignoring how William started tugging the mans arms back and applying cuffs to his wrists. Holding out the bag he smiled awkwardly at the lady, “is this yours ma’am” he asked softly, “The criminal won’t hurt anyone now”

She sniffed, eyes never leaving the man as she took her stuff back from him, “What a despicable animal” She hissed, voice low and cold. It caused Clay’s skin to prickle and he took a moment to react, but she was already speaking again, “Hybrids don’t belong in our City!”

“Hybrid?” Clay Echoed, glancing back at the man as he got dragged to his feet harshly by his mentor.

“It wore my daughters face! It’s a shapeshifting demon!” She snarled, eyes flashing as her voice rose, “How DARE it trick us humans into providing for it!”

A few passer-by’s voices rose in agreement, shouts and cries demanding violence.

Clay felt his stomach roll, his heart was in his chest as the situation registered. Sucking in a small shaky breath, he nodded awkwardly and turned to walk back to William. He held out one hand to stop the passer-by’s from coming too close to the… hybrid, already spotting the clenched fists and bared teeth from the citizens around them.

“A Hybrid huh?” William hummed, a dangerous look appearing in his eyes.

Clay’s heart sunk.

A sneer was on his mentors face within moments, his grip on the criminals cuffed wrists tightening as he pushed the man in front of him. He didn’t seem to care that the man was crying out in pain, or that there was blood gushing from his broken nose, he just bared his teeth along with the crowd, a dangerous smirk on his face.

“Let’s see how the Dungeons treat animals like you” He sneered, blue eyes flashing sideways to the crowd, “Or I can leave you to us humans, I’m sure there’s a few people who wouldn’t mind giving you what’s due”

Cheers for violence followed that remark.

It took a moment for Clay to start walking behind, his movements stiff and his skin prickling as he resisted the urge to escape. Everywhere screamed danger, the people he once called innocent now bearing his teeth at someone just like him. The one person he thought he could call family was calling him an animal; sure not directly but the thought was all the same.

There was a cold feeling in his chest, his eyes burned with unshed tears and his fists were clenched at his sides. He was distantly aware that he wasn’t breathing and it took a moment before he let his breath go, low and shaky.

The Crowd was cheering, begging and demanding for the Hybrid to be executed before them, cheering for William to kill and hurt. Clay kept his eyes to the ground and followed his mentor slowly. He was jittery and jumpy and every noise made him flinch but he tried his best to not show it. Despite feeling like he did a pretty good job at hiding his terror, William suddenly glanced back at him.

His hands were still pushing the Hybrid in front of him harshly, but his eyes were softening, “Your first arrest Kid” He pointed out with a grin on his face.

Clay huffed, hiding his shaking hands behind his back, “I-It’s not my first” he replied, “I’ve arrested people before”

The older seemed to pause, taking in those words before he shrugged, “First with me”

“I didn’t even do anything” The boy chuckled, voice cracking mid-sentence.

“You did enough to me”

And though it was supposed to be comforting, to be kind and familiar, Clay couldn’t help but flinch. Guilt weighed him down once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oop. That moment when your dad despises you without knowing he despises you? Some angsty shit right there.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is apart of an AU i created! Its Minecraft inspired but mostly Fantasy! I started writing this purely to get my Dream and OC content out, as my OC has a role in Dreams upbringing in this universe. 
> 
> I'll be getting to other characters n such in different stories and oneshots!


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